A/N: Sorry for leaving everyone hanging, I will admit that life got the better of me and time slipped by without realizing I never updated in September.
Chapter 17:
The next morning, Andy was up before the sun and was met at the door by McG. They were silent as they set out down the beach for the morning run. She felt awkward around McG for their first time since she had known him because she had seen the team there as she left. She breathed through the slight twinge in her knee that was still lingering and finally paused near the cave entrance again.
"Are they taking care of the problem?" she questioned taking a sip of water. She was keeping it all business and pushing any embarrassment, awkwardness down as far as she could. She would deal with the emotions of her decisions later.
"They are trying to take care of it now," he answered keeping an eye on how she slightly favored her sore knee. She refused to acknowledge that it still hurt, but he was used to that with his team.
Andy nodded and still refused to meet his eye even as they set off back towards the house. He had never seen her this quiet and he was concerned how that would affect the mission later that evening. With his team, he knew every move they made, could anticipate their reactions and match his response. Andy had not trained with them and up until that morning, he had no doubt that she could mesh. Now he wasn't as confident.
"McG, I promise I won't let you or your team down," she stated as she paused at the door to look at him. She looked him in the eye and he saw the conviction that the mission was what mattered to her. He nodded and headed around the front to head back to change and pick up Jaz.
"Andrea, love, when are you leaving for the spa?" Adrian questioned coming down the stairs as she stood at the counter drinking water and relaxing a moment before getting read for the rest of the evening.
"In a couple hours. Joseph has gone to pick up Tasha and we will probably be there for a few hours. We are getting our nails done, and I am going to get my hair and makeup done as well," she answered as he wrapped his arms around her.
"My mother was thinking about joining you," he supplied, and Andy had to force herself not to tense.
"Really? She made it pretty clear the other night that she was not a fan of mine," Andy questioned glancing at the camera in the corner of the glass fronted cabinet.
"She wants to get to know you better. You and the lovely Tasha," he answered with a smirk. He was saying it that way to taunt her into another fight. She would not take the bait today.
"Will we need to pick her up or will she meet us there?" Andy asked tossing her water bottle in the sink. She was irritated enough to make him smile, but not escalate the fight.
"I will call her and let you know when you get out of the shower," he answered kissing her on the temple and heading towards his office.
She muttered an oath under her breath before heading upstairs to take a shower and get ready. When she emerged an hour later, she was dressed in jeans and a button-down blouse with her hair lose around her shoulders. Playing the bride was her part for the day and she would smile and play the excited fiancée. She bounced down the stairs and smiled at Adrian as he emerged from the office.
"Well, mother cannot join you after all, she has run into an old friend and has decided you girls didn't need a tag-a-long," he informed her.
"Oh, I had already called the salon and added her to the appointment," Andy pouted slightly. She had in fact made the appointment thinking that the whole thing was a test to see how she would react.
"She will take you sometime next week for a girl's day. Besides you will have all kinds of time before the wedding. Speaking of which, we should announce the date tonight," he suggested.
"We haven't set a date though. Or have you decided something and not told me?" she questioned raising an eyebrow at him.
"How about before next school year? August 17th," he suggested wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Why August 17th?" she questioned looking at him with confusion.
"Day we met," he responded bending to kiss her neck where the bruises were covered with makeup for her spa treatments.
Andy thought back to the day she met Adrian and realized it was would be one year that day. The thought of still being involved with the man turned her stomach and she closed her eyes to shield her reaction.
"I have to get going love, I need to pick up Tasha," Andy stated pulling away and winking at him before walking out the front door and heading towards the car. She was well aware she did not answer his question.
Andy climbed into the backseat of the SUV with Jaz waiting for her, unseen due to the heavily tinted windows. She smiled and kept quiet until they were well out of the driveway. Andy's smile faded, and she met McG's glance in the rearview mirror.
"So, mommy dearest isn't joining us after all?" Jaz questioned glancing over at her.
"It's a test. I won't be surprised if she does actually show up while we are there. So, we are going to try and enjoy the pampering like normal women would. How long until Adam and Preach have those bombs out of commission?" Andy answered keeping it all business with Jaz as well.
Jaz and McG glanced at each other in the rearview mirror. The look of a teammate reading another teammate and it caused the anxiety from the night before to start building again. This day was already starting to go sideways, and they hadn't even made it to the main event of the day yet.
"Tell me," she ordered shoving her earwig in and placing the button cam on her collar.
"Daddy dearest is in the compound right now. Surveying the girls for bids. They brought someone in to dress them up and they are being drugged," Jaz reported and felt Andy's reaction more than saw it.
The more time Jaz spent with Andy, the more she saw the similarities to Top. She kept her reactions locked down but occasionally her mask slipped. She sat back and let the information come to her and didn't necessarily have to seek out what she needed.
They pulled up to the spa and McGuire opened the door for them and they entered the posh salon surrounded by gardens. Andy greeted the woman at the counter with a hello in Greek and a kiss on each cheek. They spoke rapidly as they were escorted to the day spa area of the salon where Andy and Jaz picked out nail colors and sat in massaging chairs.
Once they were situated and comfortable, their feet soaking. Andy finally relaxed and switched back to English. "I'm sorry about yesterday," she stated simply. Jaz looked to Andy with confusion. "I know you all heard my argument with Adam," she added, and Jaz nodded in understanding.
"You are probably the only one that could get away with arguing with him," Jaz replied with a smile.
"Yeah, well, it helps that I'm not in his chain of command, but I know you all argue with him too," Andy laughed lightly.
"So, what's the plan after this?" Jaz questioned, and Andy knew she meant more than the plans for the rest of the day.
"Haven't decided yet," Andy answered vaguely. "I'm thinking about getting out," she added with a sigh.
Before Jaz could ask more questions, the team came in to work on their nails and the conversation returned to bridal talk and dresses and flowers. It was the first experience Jaz really had with another woman planning her wedding; even if it was a show. She'd never been to a wedding and had gone out of her way to avoid them. The dressing up and the flowers and the formality made her itch. In her experience, love till death didn't exist. But it didn't mean that other people had not found it. She just didn't think it was in the cards for her.
Amir was holding down the fort with McG down the road from the salon while Preach and Top worked to diffuse the bombs in the cave. They had been listening and focusing on Preach and Top trying to make sure that the bomb diffusing went as planned. It helped they were not on a tight time crunch. The key was to make sure that even though the bomb would show armed, it would not actually explode. They didn't want Adrian or his family to know that they had been tampered with it prior to the movement of the girls.
Preach had also been keeping an eye on the girls in the cells. They were given food and water and fresh clothes. It was the best treatment they had seen of the girls the entire week. Although, not long after they were fed, it was clear that they had been slipped something that made them more pliable. He was sick to his stomach watching it, but he wanted to know what they were going to be dealing with when it came time to get them out.
McG knew that he needed to make sure he was with the girls when they were rescued in case any of them needed immediate medical attention and spent the time the others were busy, prepping the med kit. He needed to do something to keep his mind off the unease in his stomach. Again, he felt like everything was going their way too much. He finished prepping his med kit and went to go pick up Jaz and Andy from the spa.
Andy sat beside Jaz who looked none to please about having her hair pulled into an up do for the evening. Andy had insisted and with a glint of mischief in her eyes that had Jaz agreeing while they sat letting their nails dry. Andy had a plan for Jaz that she knew nothing about and it made her grin to herself. She had also convinced Jaz to let them do both their make up for the evening, especially as Adrian's mother thankfully never showed.
When McG pulled up to the spa to pick up Jaz and Andy, he barely recognized either. Jaz who wore make up when the occasion called for it and her hair pulled back for utilitarian purposes, had a head full of curls
a new smoldering look that was enchanting. He wanted to snap a picture for proof that it actually happened. Andy had a sleeker look, her hair pinned in old Hollywood waves swept over one shoulder.
"Well you two will be sufficiently distracting this evening," he muttered to Jaz as he opened her door.
"Oh, shut up," she answered back climbing into the backseat. She felt almost ridiculous, but it was nice to be all dressed up and feminine for once. Sure, she had dressed up for missions before, but she never got to be pampered before having to don the formal clothing. And sure, having her hair tugged into place had been annoying, the after effects gave her an unexpected giddy feeling. She felt girly.
Andy smiled to herself and nodded to McG as she climbed into the backseat with Jaz for the ride back to the mansion. She was looking forward to seeing her brother dressed up and the way he would look at Jaz. In the week that she had spent with the team, it was clear as day to her, that her brother, while professional and responsible for his team, was still a man. A man that had deep feelings for a woman that she respected, even if she knew they would never cross the line that separated them. It broke her heart a little for both of them.
Jaz watched as Andy walked inside and wondered what the other woman had up her sleeve, physically and metaphorically. Andy was sneaky and reminded her a lot Amir when he was up to something. She sat back and tried not to fidget with her hair. She wanted to touch it and see if it felt as soft as it looked when the woman had finished and shown her the final look. There had not been a lot of hairspray on Andy's orders.
Adam had gotten back to the safe house while McG and Jaz were with Andy and made sure he set the gift boxes from Andy on her bed. He also hung up the garment bag with her dress in it. Andy had sent him a text to remind him to unzip it and let it air out. He had rolled his eyes but done as she had instructed. He had seen a lot of deep red fabric but didn't want to look to closely. The color would look flattering on Jaz, but he refused to let himself think about that too long. He had also taken McG's tux to his room, along with his own.
The bomb diffusing had gone well, and he was tired and sweaty, but wanted to prep his gear so that when it was time for him and Jaz to enter the holding area, they could be armed. Preach was also going through an equipment check, prepping his gear. He made sure there were extra mags for both Jaz and Top in case they were needed.
McG entered about an hour and a half before they were scheduled to leave, he was grinning like a cat that ate the canary. Amir raised an eyebrow at him wondering what he was so happy about. Then Jaz walked in behind him.
"Not one word," she ordered before she quickly moved to the stairs. She disappeared from view before Top could see her and he couldn't help but grin just like McGuire.
"Why are you both grinning like idiots?" Preach questioned walking into the living area with Top.
"Nothing," they both stated simultaneously. Preach raised eye brows at both of them and Top frowned.
"I'm going to go take a shower. McG be ready to leave a little early. I want to make sure we can make rounds for facial rec as quickly as possible. An hour in, I want you and Amir to make yourselves scarce and meet up with Preach to start the exfil of the girls. I want them out and away from the scene as quick as possible. I want the buyers taken out as soon as they are away," he instructed and the men around him nodded before he headed up to get ready.
Jaz stood in the room she'd been using all week and stared at the stack of boxes on her bed. Three were wrapped in ribbons, their contents a mystery. The fourth, she suspected were shoes and went with the mass of red fabric hanging on the closet door. There was a card attached to one of the boxes. Jaz never received gifts from anyone. Not since Elijah. It made her heart ache a bit to think of the last gift he had given her. It had been a silly stuffed bear from their day at the arcade on base the week before he had been killed. It sat tucked away on a shelf in her room on base.
She slipped the card out of the envelop that has Jaz scrawled across it. The handwriting was unfamiliar, but she suspected it was Andy's. She flipped open the card and confirmed that the gift was indeed from Andy.
Jaz,
So, you never have to go "naked" into a situation ever again.
Andy
Curious, Jaz pulled the ribbon off the smallest box. Nestled inside tissue paper was a set of needle sharp hair sticks like Andy had worn a few days earlier. They were simple and made of a dark wood. Jaz grinned knowing she could use them anytime she had to dress up for a mission. They had a velvet bag to keep them protected and she slipped them inside. There was also an elegant comb that had needle sharp tines and tipped with red stones that looked like they would match the dress hanging up. The next box held a black clutch with brass knuckles as the grip for it. Jaz slipped her fingers through the rings and grinned when it fit perfectly. Andy was rapidly moving up the list of her favorite people. The final box held a lacey garter that held a small pistol with an extra clip. There was also a small knife. She would be comfortably armed tonight.
Quickly shedding her clothes that she had worn to the salon, she slipped the garter up her leg and pulled on her dress. It was definitely not something she would have chosen for herself because of how low cut it was, but it was a wrap dress that plunged enough to show cleavage and be distracting while keeping her covered with a full enough skirt that she could hide a few weapons. The hi-lo design afforded her ease of movement and access to said weapons. The red was also a deep red that looked good against her skin tone and made her feel pretty. The final thing that won her approval though, were the surprise pockets she found at her hips.
She pulled the final lid off the last box and found a simple pair of strappy black heals. One strap went across her toes, the other around her ankle. Jaz would not be running in these shoes and hoped that running barefoot would not become a necessity. She slipped on the shoes, packed her clutch with her mace, an extra knife, lipstick, and a cell phone, and slipped the hair comb into her mass of curls. She opened the bedroom door and peaked out into the hallway to see if the bathroom was occupied, but the door was open, and she snuck quickly inside.
She glanced into the full-length mirror and smiled in satisfaction. Top's sister had amazing taste and she was going to have to thank her for her newest weapon cache. She secured the hair comb and touched up her lipstick and deemed herself ready for the evening.
"Jaz are you ever coming down?" McG demanded from the base of the stairs. Amir, Top and he were dressed in standard tuxes and looked respectable when McG had sent a picture of Top to Andy. She'd sent back a reply questioning if he had seen Jaz yet demanding a picture when it happened.
"Come on Jaz, we need to get you wired before we leave," Top ordered his back to the stairs as she walked down taking each step slowly.
Jaz was nervous for the reactions she was expecting. They had seen her dressed up, had seen her dirty and covered in mud and blood, but she had never felt pretty. She saw Top's back to her and she was secretly grateful to see McG and Amir's reactions first. It was worth it to see their jaws drop. She smirked at them. She also nodded appreciatively looking at both of them in their tuxes. Her eyes settled on Top's back where the back of his tux jacket stretched over his shoulders and swallowed the thoughts of taking it off him.
Amir and McG had both stilled and gaped at her. They had seen her at her bloody and terrified. This was as far from that as they had ever seen her. McG let out a low appreciative whistle that had Top finally turning around to look at her. Preach entered from the kitchen and stared up at her as well.
Adam felt his throat grow dry and forgot how to breathe, his bowtie suddenly felt like it was much tighter. He looked her up and down, from the way the fabric complimented her skin tone, to the way the dress made her legs look like they went for days, and the cleavage he couldn't help noticing. Her hair was piled in curls with the wink of warm red stones and his fingers itched to pull out every pin until her hair cascaded around him. He wasn't sure if he wanted to kiss his sister or strangle her. He had a very strict line that he had drawn, and the way Jaz looked made that line fuzzy.
"Well Sargent Kahn, you clean up nice," he teased trying hard to keep his voice light as he reminded himself that he was her CO. He gave her his most charming grin while he offered his arm. She playfully punched him with her hand holding her new clutch and then took his offered arm.
"By the way, I think I'm in love with your sister," she teased back looking serious. This stopped all four men. "She gave me weapons," she added with a brilliant smile.
"What do you mean my sister gave you weapons?" Top questioned releasing her arm. He glanced Jaz up and down trying to figure out where they were all hidden.
"My secret," she replied with a grin. She walked over to Preach and watched as he reached up and carefully tugged out a few strands of curls so that it would camouflage her earwig and she slipped on a necklace with a hidden camera.
Adam watched as Jaz put the final touches on her outfit and forced himself to breathe again as he thought about all the places he knew that a woman as lethal as Jaz could hide weapons. He was pretty sure the purse she held was one of them with the brass knuckle shaped handle that he'd felt against his arm when she'd punched him. Jaz always complained that when she dressed up she felt exposed because it was so difficult to hide the standard issue weapons and he was grateful to his sister for once again protecting his team. It was such a small thing, but it mattered.
"Andy just texted," McGuire mentioned coming to stand at his side. He realized he had been staring and he was grateful to have the distraction.
"Everything good?" he questioned seeing the looking on McG's face.
"Yeah," he confirmed. He hesitated, "Top, is she going to be good to go?" McG wondered aloud.
Amir stilled his movements where he had been adjusting his own button cam and testing it with DC. He moved to stand in a tight circle with the two of them and looked McG in the eye. "Andy is the most solid operative I ever worked with and she will get the job done."
McG heard the intensity in the other man's voice and nodded in understanding. He glanced to Top, who was staring at Amir with curiosity. Amir was the most anxious that he had seen him since those first weeks with the team. It reminded him of how he used to be around Jaz. Unsure and uncomfortable, but willing to do whatever it took to get the job done. They were going to need him to help anticipate Andy's reactions, but McG was beginning to wonder if it would be the other way around.
Andy was standing in her closet, carefully pulling on her dress to make sure that all the bruises were hidden from view. The one around her neck had faded enough that light make up and the high neckline of her dress hid the marks. The long lace sleeves shielded the ones on her arms, and also allowed her the ability to hide two knives up the sleeves, secured by the cuff style bracelets she wore. She too had a lace garter that hid another knife and pistol. The hair pin she wore that was shaped like a calla lily hid the sharp point within the confines of her dark hair.
The high neck of the dress clipped into place and left her back open nearly to her waist. It was conservative in the front and sexy in the back. She figured that it would entice Adrian and his father. The dress was tighter in the hips than she would have liked, but she was still able to wear her gun. It was more out of reach because the dress had no slits, but, the knives at her wrists could alter that problem if necessary.
She clipped her earrings in place and slipped the necklace that she'd had Preach fix a camera to around her neck. It was a simple gold chain and was given to her years before. She wore it nearly every day most of the time and reminded her of a very different place in her life.
"Radio check?" she questioned quietly as she slipped on her shoes. She bent to clip the shoes closed and listened as Hannah gave her a positive on the coms. She tested the camera and Noah confirmed positive feedback.
Andy was nervous to see her brother. They had only exchanged a couple of text messages and they had been brief all business and told her nothing of what he was thinking. It didn't matter though because by the end of the night, she would be free from the man getting ready in the closet next to hers. The girls would be free, there would be a few less bad guys on the street. The thought of those girls seeing their parents soon put the most brilliant smile on her face as she stepped out to greet Adrian.
"My love, you are a vision," he stated looking her up and down appreciatively. She spun and managed to avoid stepping on the bottom of her dress.
"You look mighty handsome yourself," she whispered pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. Just a few more hours and it would all be over.
"Shall we head downstairs to begin greeting our guests?" He offered her an arm and they descended the stairs together.
McG, Jaz and Adam rode together to the house, Amir would follow ten minutes later. Jaz was trying not to fidget and felt the urge to do a weapon check one more time before they arrived but knew that it would be fine. They were all antsy and ready to move. Preach had already met up with local contacts that the DIA had looped in to the situation and the transport for the girls to a local hospital to be evaluated.
They arrived, and McG stepped out, buttoning up his tux jacket as he climbed out and went around to open Top's door, and he followed her around to open the door for Jaz. It was all a show, but when Top offered her his arm, she rolled her eyes at McG's cheeky grin behind Top's back. She squared her shoulders and pretended to be completely comfortable in the daring dress. Thinking of the fact that she was armed, she smirked and before turning to give Top a brilliant smile.
Adam looked at Jaz and was confused by the smile she shot him as they walked in the door. She had been fidgeting the entire car ride and he had had to keep his eyes forward because looking at her sideways all he saw was her cleavage. She kept tugging the top of the dress to make sure it stayed in place during the drive, but the minute she stepped out of the car and took his arm, she relaxed. She flashed him that smile, and she took his breath away. It was Andy's fault.